http://earthfix.opb.org/energy/article/crew-fatigue-remains-unsolved-problem-underestimat/

Actually seems to be a well written article. It does attempt to tie in fatigued crews and oil trains, but it does prove some important points. I have to laugh at the quoted railroad officials, all you have to do is follow the sidebar links to see what the railroad's true policy is. Once rested, you must be ready at any time to go to work, but we can't tell you when that will be if you are on the extra board or a pool. You have no idea when you are going to work, for how long, or when you might get a day off - but don't you dare lay off. And the BNSF policy - is the railroad paying for a super computer, account and a lawyer to tell you if you have earned a lay off day?

Yes I know in the "good old days" crews worked up to 16 hours and rarely got a day off - but after all this is now the 22nd century and I believe indentured servants went out of style well over a century ago.

I have heard of attempts before to establish call windows that the unions fought. Too many old heads wanted every dime they could earn. I worked for one railroad where the union determined the size of the pools. I was told by a union official this was so the pool crews could work steady because the pool was constantly turning and allow them to sharp shoot taking a trip off when they wanted. I was on the extra board, so it didn't do me much good. I was later forced to a 10 pm switch job at an outlying terminal which I had no seniority to hold the terminal if I wanted.

After the Metrolink wreck at Chatsworth, Congress panicked and changed the hours of service without addressing the basic problem. If I am working between 6am to 2 pm for 12 hours I can work 6 days a week or more without much problem. Regular graveyard shifts are a little harder, and I have seen way too many sunrises from a train in the middle of a shift. But start flip flopping between days and nights in the same week, especially without any idea when you are being called to work - and I have a real hard time staying sharp. There are times I couldn't tell you what happened in the previous two hours, but I had my train still under control and where I was supposed to be without anything wrapped around the coupler.

And railroads wonder why they can't find enough quality employees to sell their soul to the company to be in train service. Create consistent work/call windows or provide 8 hour calls and a little more generous lay off policy with bonuses for those who stay marked up, they might have better luck.

End of rant - temporarily ...